Finally
by Tender Falling Rain
Summary: I don't think there's any better way to sum up this story except with the word, 'Finally.' Please R/R! Now with three sequels, just for fun! Chapter 1: The Wedding, Chapter 2: The Reception, Chapter 3: The Decision, Chapter 4: I Object!
1. The Wedding

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"

Akane couldn't believe this day had finally come. She thought they'd never actually get married, but somehow he had finally gotten up the courage to propose. Her eyes darted around to look at the guests gathered in the yard of the Tendo compound. It was a small affair, much quieter than the other wedding that had been held in the same place several months earlier. Her eyes drifted to her father who was sitting in the front row of the chairs arranged on the lawn, blubbering about losing his little girl. She smiled fondly and continued to look around the yard. As she did, she couldn't help but notice that Kodachi, Shampoo and Ukyo weren't present. They had been invited, but Akane supposed she couldn't really blame them for not showing up. What would that have proved anyway? No one had really expected them to attend, but just to be safe, the Tendos had decided to invite them way in advance so any objections could be made before the actual event, and not during the wedding itself. They didn't want to risk insulting the crazy girls, and figured if they were all officially invited they wouldn't feel the need to crash the wedding. Literally. However, they had no reason for interfering with this wedding. It really didn't concern them.

Akane fiddled with her bouquet and nervously glanced over at Ranma in his nice tuxedo. She blushed slightly, thinking about how handsome he looked. Ranma briefly glanced over at her from the corner of his eyes and then looked back at the priest. Akane did the same. _"Ah yes, of course, this is the important part."_

"…take this man to have and to hold, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

Akane had to keep herself from crying, she was so happy.

"…this woman to have and to hold, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"

"I-I do!"

Akane couldn't help but smile at the way he stuttered his response.

"Do you have the rings?"

The couple nodded and exchanged their rings while staring lovingly into each other's eyes. When they were finished, the priest said the fateful words.

"Now, if anyone here knows of any reason why these two should not be wed, please speak now or forever hold your peace."

There was a collective silence as Akane and the rest of the wedding party and guests in attendance held their breath as they looked around, fearing the worst. When nothing happened everyone sighed in relief.

"Then with the power invested in me I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

The groom lifted the veil off of his new wife's face. He looked lovingly at her beautiful face smiling back at him and leaned in for their first kiss as husband and wife. As their lips touched one thought crossed the minds of everyone present. _"Finally."_

The lips of the couple parted and they turned to face the people gathered. The priest addressed the crowd. "And now it gives me great pleasure to present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Ono."

Everyone clapped as the music began to play and Kasumi and her new husband, Dr. Tofu made their way down the aisle. Meanwhile, Akane, who had been Kasumi's maid of honor, took Ranma's arm, for he had been the best man, and allowed him to escort her down the aisle as well.

"Oh it's just so beautiful," a tearful Akane exclaimed.

Ranma just rolled his eyes. "Women," he muttered. Still he couldn't help smiling as well.

Due to pure reflexes Akane sensed something flying towards her. Releasing Ranma's arm she threw her hands up to catch the object, only to find it was Kasumi's bouquet. "Huh?" Akane muttered unintelligently. She looked around and noticed all the women glaring at her for having caught the flowers. Akane looked back at the beautiful arrangement and gasped. "But that would mean…" She slowly turned to look at Ranma whose mouth was gaping open. Their eyes met briefly and then they both looked away swiftly, blushing deeply as they continued the trip down the aisle.

The End

A/N: Edited after several years! Hey, anyone interested in a sequel for this? Because I've got a few ideas in mind… *grin* Hope you enjoyed this story! If you did, please take some time to review!


	2. The Reception

I wrote the first chapter of this many years ago as a oneshot, and it was very well received and more than a few people requested I make a second chapter where Ranma and Akane However, I never really planned on adding to this story until a recent bit of inspiration struck me. So here you go! A brand new chapter / oneshot. Enjoy!

* * *

Akane couldn't believe this day had finally come…

Come and gone actually. The wedding had been a fancy, elegant affair and had been executed successfully without a single disaster occurring. There had been no death threats, no objections, and no marriage proposals or proclamations of love directed at either Akane or Ranma. Granted, Ranma and Akane had to be hidden until the actual start of the ceremony, but once it had gotten underway there were no issues.

And Akane couldn't have been more pleased. After all, she had spent the past four weeks planning the event, mostly on her own. She had expected some help actually, but in the end she'd done most of it herself. Kasumi had of course wanted to help as much as possible, but being in her third trimester with her and Tofu's first child, there was only so much she could do. She'd helped with the invitations, and gave some much needed advice, but little else. Tofu after all was a doctor and a first time father, and for that reason he was bound to be more than a little overprotective and insistent upon his wife getting plenty of rest and not straining herself. Akane had hoped and expected Nabiki would participate more in the planning of the actual event, but she had shown shockingly little interest in any of it. The only thing that seemed to matter to her was what dress she would wear. "If I'm going to be in the wedding pictures, I'd better look good," she'd exclaimed. Akane rolled her eyes at the thought.

"Some sister I have, leaving all the planning to me," Akane mumbled. Still, she didn't mind so much. As it turned out, despite her lack of talent regarding most domestic skills, Akane had found she was actually quite skilled when it came to planning events, weddings in particular. She'd put her heart and soul into planning the wedding she'd always dreamed of but never thought she'd have considering her engagement had been an arranged one. Fortunately Nabiki had made one rather crucial contribution. She had somehow managed to persuade Soun and Genma to stay out of all wedding plans and leave the arrangements to the girls. They'd been disappointed. After all they had a favorite priest on retainer, a frequent buyer discount at the nearest jewelry store and lots of opinions regarding what kind of sake to serve and how much. On the last account Ranma was a little disappointed, since it meant that the ceremonial sake would not be replaced with Nannichuan water again.

"Dummy," Akane giggled fondly, and then shifted her thoughts to the wedding once more. It had all passed by so quickly, and as with most amazing and wonderful events in life she found herself not truly believing it had happened at all. But it had. It was over. All that was left was the reception and then the happy couple would be starting their life together as man and wife.

"Finally," Akane smiled to herself. She couldn't believe it had taken the idiot so long to finally make up his mind. At the same time, she was still a little surprised he'd actually made a decision at all. It had taken years of him flitting back and forth, skirting around the issue, not wanting to choose. She'd started to think he was incapable of making a commitment to any one girl. She'd honestly been afraid that things would continue on as they had been indefinitely. But little by little things had changed. For the better.

Still, when he'd finally made his decision everyone had been more than a little surprised. After all, the pair had spent several long years bickering and denying their feelings for each other. It took a lot to see past the insults and games they played to the mild flirtations the two shared in each exchange. But it was there, a mutual respect and fondness, and it always had been for anyone that chose to look closely enough. And in the end he had grown up, made his choice and proposed to the girl that he truly loved. He'd gotten down on one knee and everything, asking her to marry him on the day of their graduation. His grand gesture and decision had been unexpected, but Akane couldn't have been happier with his choice. Neither could Ranma.

The weeks that followed had been practically a blur to everyone. She wanted to finalize the arrangement as quickly as possible, secretly worried that he would change his mind. "Despite what he says, I don't think I'll believe this is real until there's a ring around my finger," she'd said. "That's when I'll know he's truly mine." Akane's smile wavered slightly. A part of her was still uneasy, and she found herself worrying that perhaps it had been a mistake. She was trying so hard to trust him and believe in him, but given their past together it was more than a little difficult. And she wasn't without faults either…

But perhaps that was why their union was so perfect. They both knew each other's faults and were willing to accept each other regardless. For better or worse… And right or wrong it was done with. The pastor had said, "Speak now or forever hold your peace," and no one had objected, least of all Akane. She intended to happily hold her peace until the end of time. She smiled brightly and took a moment to admire the beautiful spring afternoon. "It truly was a perfect wedding, on a perfect day. You couldn't ask for a better omen than that!" she mused cheerfully. "Now if we can just get through the reception…" she mumbled under her breath as she made her way to join the rest of the Bridal party and guests in the beautiful dining room that had been rented.

* * *

"You… You… STUPID, two-timing… Three-timing… Oooh, you womanizing, JERK!"

Ranma gulped, staring at the short haired girl in her ornate wedding dress that was stuttering and tripping over her words, tears slowly welling up in the corners of her dark eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. He couldn't remember a time he'd seen her _that_ upset, which was saying a lot, and he didn't know what to make of it, but one thing was for sure. It definitely was not a good sign.

"I-I can explain!" Ranma shouted in a frenzy, quickly distancing himself from the person that had been holding him. "It-It's not w-what it looks like! Really, I swear!"

Akane glared at him bitterly, her hands on her hips. "Really Ranma? You think you can explain this? I dare you to try!"

Ranma opened and closed his mouth like a fish for a few moments before he was forced to admit she had a point. There really was no explanation for what had happened. No excuse. What could be said? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Ranma knew perfectly well he'd made his own fair share of mistakes in the past with his relationships, and the curse of his foot in mouth syndrome had a worse chance of ever being cured than his stupid Jusenkyo curse. No one would accuse him of being smooth or smart when it came to relationship issues, and he had an uncanny knack for getting himself into awkward situations. People had come to expect it from him. But there were some things that were unforgiveable, and even he knew that getting caught embracing some other girl on the day of your wedding was one of those things. A look around the room that was full of stunned witnesses to his transgression only made things worse. There was no escaping the truth, no explanation.

It was not just bad, it was awful! Horrific! Terrible, and downright disastrous in a way that was classically Ranma. "Why does this stuff always happen to me?" he wondered.

"I can't believe you Ranma! How could you do this? You've ruined yet another wedding!" Akane shouted.

"To be fair, he didn't actually ruin the wedding," Nabiki pointed out frankly with a bitter scowl, laying a hand on her sister's arm to calm her as she boldly stepped forward. "The wedding was a… Success. However, the marriage itself…"

Somehow that had hit home hard, and in a moment he was on his knees in front of her, not the least bit concerned for the damage his begging would do to his expensively tailored wedding tuxedo. "Forgive me! You are the one I truly love, but how…"

"You don't love me!" she yelled. "You don't! Admit it! You never loved me at all. If you did you would have given up on all the other girls. But no, you had to string me along too. Did you really want to marry me at all?"

"You know I did. I asked you to marry me because I…"

"Liar!" she slapped him hard across the cheek. "You never wanted to marry me! You'd rather marry my sister probably, or some random girl, anyone but me!"

She sobbed into her hands as she turned away dramatically.

"What can I do to make this up to you? Please? I'll do anything, I swear it!"

"Anything?" she sniffed.

"Anything within my power!" he said imploringly.

"Very well," she said, her expression changing quite suddenly as she spun back around, and whipped a legal document out of thin air. "I'll take a divorce and 75% of your entire estate as we agreed upon in the prenuptial agreement my lawyer drew up for us last week." The collective crowd of wedding guests that had been watching the train wreck take place in the reception hall suddenly face faulted as the bride continued with an eerie grin. "I believe you'll recall that we agreed upon any acts of infidelity as grounds for immediate annulment and division of _our_ assets."

"Our assets? But dearest, don't you mean my…"

"But Kuno-chan!" Nabiki exclaimed, clasping her hands in front of her and blinking doe eyes at the man that had been her husband for less than fifteen minutes. "Didn't you just pledge to me at the wedding ceremony that what was yours was mine and whatnot?"

"I-I did, of course, and surely it is you that is first and foremost in my heart, Kuno Nabiki. Yet truly, my heart breaks at the thought of turning a maiden as fair as the pigtailed goddess away. For she came to see me on this day, in hopes that I would not be lost to her entirely, and in her delicate manner begged me not to leave her."

"Oh as if!" The female Ranma shouted, stomping forward. "Listen Buddy, I do not beg, and for the last time I most certainly have no interest in an idiotic, cheating, jerk of a _guy_ such as you!"

"Oh like you're one to talk," Akane grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ranma's eyes narrowed on her. "Hey now!" he hissed back.

Kuno seemed unaffected by their conversation. "You see? How could I not embrace such sincerity and devotion?" he spouted to Nabiki. "Do you consider it folly that one such as I should not take a mistress?"

"Of course not Kuno-chan. In fact I had counted on it. Hence the Pre-nup."

"Honestly!" Akane shouted, her side conversation with Ranma growing progressively heated. "How do you get yourself into these situations? I thought you were supposed to avoid water today at all costs?"

"I know, but I had to get away from Kodachi somehow! She's been stalking me all afternoon, and the wedding was over, so I figured we were in the clear…"

"Dummy!" Akane growled, rolling her eyes before shifting her attention back to Nabiki who was smugly leaving the hall with Kuno trailing after her on his knees. "N-Nabiki! Wait!" she called out to her, immediately realizing her mistake as Kuno turned to face her.

"Ah, Tendo Akane! So you do care! Very well, I take you as my mistress as well!"

Akane's left eye twitched, and Nabiki spun back around halting her retreat to glare at her husband with renewed agitation. Glomping onto Ranma was one thing, but propositioning her own sister less than a half hour after the wedding, in front of all their guests… Now that was just going too far. "I am going to take this moron for everything he's worth," she reassured herself, as any feelings of lingering mercy or attachment for her husband vanished into thin air.

"Gee Akane, how do you get yourself into these situations?" Ranma asked smugly, glad that the attention had shifted to his fiancé.

"Put a lid on it Ranma," Akane growled. "And you!" she shouted. She turned on Kuno then trailed off and looked to her sister apologetically. "Hey Sis, permission to hit your new husband?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Nabiki grinned sweetly. "Here, use this," she said, pulling a baseball bat from nowhere.

"My Darling Wife and sister-in-law Tendo Akane! Pig-tailed girl! Today is a joyous day, fly into my arms and together…"

"How bout you go flying?" Akane shouted swinging the bat hard and sending Kuno through the roof and off over the horizon. She sighed deeply. "What a shame I had to send him flying off into the sunset by himself. I had hoped the two of you would ride off into the sunset together. Literally. I'd even rented the white horses," she said to Nabiki sorrowfully. "I'm sorry Nabiki."

"Don't sweat it. To be honest I'd been counting on something like this happening. Happily ever after for me and my newly acquired fortune," she grinned. Akane only rolled her eyes, lamenting the way the wedding she had put so much thought and effort into had ended. It had been her dream wedding after, and she had planned it for her sister, living vicariously through it. However, the ending to it all was not what she had imagined.

"Nice swing by the way," Nabiki said. "But how's your catching?"

"Huh?" she asked. She was too lost in her thoughts to take the time to consider the gist of her sister's meaning until it was too late and the wedding bouquet had landed neatly in her hands. She immediately flushed scarlet. "Oh for the love of…"

"AUGH!" Ranma screamed, backing away from Akane with wide eyes making warding gestures. "Nu-uh. No way! That's two times now! You stay away from me Akane! I ain't marrying you!"

"Oh honestly Ranma!" Akane yelled. "Could you be any less mature?"

As Akane and Ranma digressed into typical antics Nabiki stepped forward to address the stunned gathering of guests. "Well folks, I do apologize for the theatrics of the evening. Enjoy the rest of the party, though okay? After all… I'm not paying for it…" she grinned widely.

Everyone merely shrugged and went back to their festivities and conversations.

It may not have been your typical storybook ending, but Nabiki was right, it was still a happily ever after kind of ending. After all, Nabiki got her fortune, Kuno got his sunset, Akane got her bouquet, Ranma got her mallet and…

"Oh my! I think my water just broke."

"W-What! Someone call a doctor!"

"But Darling, you are a doctor."

"O-Oh yeah, right... Uh, hehehe..."

And of course Dr. Tofu got his nervous breakdown…

The End

* * *

Hehehe, so did I fool you? Again? I was trying to but ultimately I don't think I did as good of a job as I did with the first chapter. But that might have something to do with the fact that everyone's probably on to me at this point.

So what do you think? Should I do another chapter? After all, I got two Tendo girls married. It seems unfair not to marry the last one off! :-p

Please review and let me know what you think. I'm going to keep this story set to the 'complete' status because each chapter is in itself it's own oneshot and both oneshots are complete and conclusive, but that doesn't mean I won't add to it at some point...

- C -


	3. The Decision

Well, I've done two chapters from Akane's point of view so far. From a girl's perspective that is. I thought maybe it was time to try this from a guy's POV. So without any further ado, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3: The Decision

It was here. The day of all days. The day he had avoided and put off longer than he should simply because… He hadn't been ready. But was he ready now? Was he sure? Could he really go through with it? It was only moments away, the point of no return. Because today was the day.

D Day. Decision Day. His… Wedding day. In a matter of minutes, like it or not, he would be married. No more indecision, no more going back and forth from one girl to another. It was about to be settled once and for all, and once they were joined he wasn't going to let anyone come between them. Once they were joined it would all be over. His freedom, his carefree existence, his… Life as he knew it.

He swallowed a knot in his throat, loosened the silly bow tie that threatened to choke him to death and let out a deep sigh. Casting a glance at his bride-to-be he felt his worries and doubts withering around him and couldn't help but smile slightly. _"What do I have to be so worried about? I mean sure, we don't have the perfect relationship, but with a little time, and effort, surely… It won't be so bad. Actually, it will be nice, seeing her face every morning, having a place to call home. A real, constant home, not a temporary one that I'm just passing through. She's always made me feel at home here, but somehow I never felt I had the right to call this place my own. But now, after today, I will."_ His smile deepened and he turned to face the priest once more, but the monotone voice could not hold his complete attention and he found himself drifting back into his own thoughts.

"_So why am I so nervous?" _he wondered frantically. _"Am I really that much of a coward?" _He knew it was silly to be so afraid. He was a strong martial artist. He'd faced monsters and demons and perilous training missions. He'd stared into the face of death... He was strong, he was brave...

"_So why, oh why, am I so afraid of something as simple as this? Marriage." _

It wasn't that he didn't love her. He did. He blushed at the thought. It hadn't been too long ago that he had finally gotten the courage to say it. That was also the day that he had decided to stop fighting it and finally agreed to the arrangement between them and asked her to marry him. He'd asked that she marry him, not because of some stupid family promise, but because she loved him. And she had said yes. And he had been happy and relieved and at peace…

At least for a time… But it was still difficult for him to be open with her, and there was the slightest bit of hesitation and doubt that she cared for him the same way he did for her. He was after all cursed. Not a full man. She said she didn't care about that. She said she loved him anyway, but he still had his doubts. How could she possibly accept him the way he was when he couldn't even accept himself?

"_I should've found a cure first,"_ he thought to himself. _"It would've been the honorable thing to do, rather than asking her to marry an incomplete man. But who knows how long that could take? I can't keep her waiting forever."_ Heavens knew he'd already put her through enough with his inability to confess his love for her. He'd kept her waiting, stringing her along far too long, even after she had admitted to her own feelings for him. And he knew he had given her far too many reasons to doubt his faithfulness to her. But in the end he had to make a choice, and with little hesitation he had chosen the beautiful young girl that he knew truly loved him. After all, he felt the same. But still... Had he made the right choice?

He nervously glanced at Akane in her long flowing dress, the shiny material gleaming in the sunlight. Her hair was decorated with tiny little flowers. Nothing elaborate, just simple pure elegance that accentuated her natural beauty perfectly.

She turned her head to look back at him and smiled brilliantly. He felt his heart catch in his chest. There was his answer. All he had to do was look at her genuine smile and he knew he was doing the right thing. Because she was happy. Genuinely happy, and he knew that if her feelings for him were different she wouldn't be smiling at him like that. He smiled back at her. _"Thank you Akane_," he thought to himself. _"Thank you for making this decision so easy for me. If I hadn't known your true feelings, I would never have been able to..."_

A slight cough caught his attention and his eyes drifted to the Maid of Honor. She looked absolutely miserable in her own pale frilly gown and picked at the material awkwardly. He knew perfectly well how she felt about wearing dresses. _"Why in the world did she ask her of all people to be her Maid of Honor?"_ It was rather cruel in all honesty to ask such a thing of her considering the circumstances. It was like pouring salt in an open wound, adding insult to injury. He'd been surprised when she had reluctantly agreed. She had declined at first of course. But then Akane had begged and pleaded, pointing out how important she was to both of them. In truth, if it hadn't been for her they never would have gotten together. For that reason in seemed fitting. Still, he couldn't help finding it a little awkward and unfair and he had to wonder if he had asked her, would she have stood next to him instead? After all, despite everything they had been through, she was his best friend.

He smiled to himself. Things were actually working out for him. He had friends. He was about to have a wife. A beautiful, caring, loving wife, and a constant home, and a profession inherited by marriage to attend to. A life. A good life. Things were falling into place. He was blissfully happy. And as these unfamiliar but comforting thoughts filled his mind and he grinned like a goofy idiot, he mechanically stumbled through the ceremony, and his vows in a stupefied giddy haze that did not fully lift until the priest muttered six very frightening words.

"You may now kiss the bride."

He swallowed hard and turned to face her beautiful beaming face and was lost immediately in deep captivating brown eyes. He blushed furiously, feeling nervous and afraid to move forward despite the past words of love and the vows they had just exchanged. "A-A-Aka... He stuttered lamely for a moment before she lunged forward and clasped her arms around his neck, eagerly kissing her new husband. He tensed up involuntarily and his eyes grew wide, somewhat shocked by her forwardness. But then slowly he began to relax, reveling in the wonderful peaceful feeling that overtook him as he held the soft, beautiful woman within his arms. No more doubts, no more indecisiveness, no more thoughts of any girl other than his wife. She was the one. The only one. From that moment on, he would treasure and cherish her and her alone until the day he died. And as he tightened his arms around his wife and began to return her sweet kiss, all other thoughts left his mind. The final one to fade was a solemn goodbye. _"Farewell my first love. Goodbye for now and forever... Akane..." _

The priest eventually had to clear his throat and the happily married couple quickly disentangled from their close embrace, a pair of young, naïve, blushing teenagers to the core.

"If you are quite finished," the priest said. They nodded, their already impossibly red faces somehow growing even brighter. "Very well then, I now introduce for the very first time Mr. and Mrs. Ryoga and Akari Hibiki!"

The gathered guests at the Unryu farm applauded heartily, and after a few false starts, Akari was eventually successful in steering her new husband back down the aisle. The rest of the wedding party paired up after them and followed their recession down the aisle and towards the area designated for the after party. The first couple to follow after Ryoga and Akari was more than a little conspicuous, and the unfortunate Maid of Honor, walking arm and arm with the closest Bridesmaid flushed and glowered at the looks and stifled laughter she received.

The girl accompanying her was not helping matters. "That dress really does look good on you," Akane complemented amidst a fit of giggles of her own.

"Ah shaddup," Ranma grumbled, leveling her with a death glare. "This is all your fault anyway."

"Me?" Akane asked, the perfect mask of innocence. "Whatever do you mean?"

"You know what I mean! Why'd you have to get involved in the first place? I'd already told Akari I didn't want to do it but then you had to go and ask too. You know perfectly well I can't say no to you..." Ranma blushed at the admission and Akane smiled.

"I thought it was sweet that she asked you. She said that if it wasn't for you they never would have gotten together. It makes sense she would want you to be her Maid of Honor."

"But I'm a guy!"

Akane merely giggled again. She couldn't help it. She was finding she truly liked weddings. It gave her a reason to put on a pretty dress and makeup and act girly and proper for once, and she found that the minute Ranma was in formal attire, whether it be a tux or a bridesmaid dress, he was less prone to pick fights with her or anyone else. He mellowed. They both did. For a brief period of time they attempted to be on their best behavior, and the consequences of those moments had done them both a great deal of good. Weddings had brought them closer together, which was ironic considering it was the fear of a particular wedding that had kept them apart and at odds for so long.

But then as they reached the reception area, her mood automatically darkened, and a foreboding sense hit her. She felt she was forgetting something. After all, this was the third wedding they'd been in, their own failed one not included, and every time so far it had happened. She didn't want to tempt fate by letting it happen a third time, and she was pretty sure her fiancé felt the same way.

She noticed Ranma tensing beside her, and could tell that she had suddenly remembered as well.

"Oh no!" Ranma shouted. "Akane whatever you do, don't catch that stupid..."

Too late. The object was hurtling towards her. It was either catch it or let it hit her in the face, and considering the sharp edges, she would not be able to escape without some severe scratches. "Ahhh!" She squealed, her hands reflexively flying in front of her face.

"Akane! Look out!" Ranma called dramatically, as well trained fast reflexes came into play and she quickly pushed Akane aside at the last second as if saving her from some mortal crisis. She snatched the bouquet from the air, holding it in a vice like grip as if it were an evil snake before turning and scowling at Akane.

"What are you? Some kind of curse magnet?"

Akane predictably snapped. So much for her theory about them getting along better at weddings. "It's not a curse! It's supposed to be good luck! And you're one to talk! You're the one that caught the stupid thing this time!"

Ranma's face immediately paled and she threw the bouquet at Akane with a rather feminine shriek. "AH! Get it away from me!"

"I don't want it either!" Akane yelled throwing it back at Ranma.

"Yeah but it's safer with you!" Ranma said, again tossing it back at Akane, ignoring the glaring collection of women that would be more than happy to take the dreaded bouquet burden off the couple's hands. Ignorant to this, Ranma continued her tirade. "In fact you should be thanking me for giving it to you! After all, it's supposed to help you catch a husband, and in that department you need all the help you can get!"

"What did you say!" Akane growled.

"Ladies, ladies," Nabiki said, stepping forward to separate the bickering couple. "You do realize that it doesn't really matter which one of you catches that bouquet right?"

Akane flushed and with a humph looked away from Ranma. "I suppose you're right Nabiki. It's not like a stupid little wedding bouquet could really determine your future," she conceded, attempting to look mature by taking the high road. But then her expression twisted slightly to one of worry. "Even if it is three bouquets in a row," she mumbled. After all, she always had been slightly superstitious.

"Pheh. Yeah I suppose it's no big deal. No stupid bouquet's gonna force me to marry anyone," Ranma added.

"I'm so glad to see you two agree," Nabiki grinned. "However, what I meant was seeing as the two of you are already engaged it shouldn't really matter which one of you catches it. Either way you're both fated to get married next. To each other of course. I think the fact that you both caught it this time only makes that more certain!"

Both froze and turned a bright shade of crimson with a slight touch of green. "However," Nabiki continued in a calculated manner. "If you like I'd be more than happy to take that bouquet off of your hands…" Akane's expression brightened and she immediately turned to her sister and held out the bouquet, just as Nabiki's grin widened and she added, "for a price of course…"

* * *

~ Epilogue ~

Two months later Nabiki found herself once again marring Tatewaki Kuno in a nice little summer wedding on an island off the coast of Tokyo. Despite past difficulties in their relationship they'd decided out of nowhere to work out their differences and give marriage another try…

"I told you that bouquet curse was for real!" Ranma stated matter-of-factly to Akane.

"Yeah, yeah," Akane grumbled while catching the travel bag tossed to her by her sister. "Just shut up and hurry will you?"

"Wouldn't want to miss that special boat we chartered for you," Nabiki added, crossing her arms over her chest.

A part of Akane felt a little offended about the situation. Not only had she and Ranma not been invited to the Kuno reception, but Nabiki had even forked out extra money to arrange for them to be transported on a boat leaving the island mere minutes after the end of their ceremony. And to add insult to injury, Nabiki had insisted on helping them pack to speed the process along.

"Have a nice trip!" Nabiki Kuno stated cheerily as she ushered them out the back, slamming the door shut behind them before they had a chance to respond.

"Hmph!" Akane responded. "Honestly! I can't believe I'm being asked to not attend my own sister's wedding reception!"

"Well, considering how their last one went…"

"Your fault not mine," Akane sniffed.

"Yeah well, no sense in tempting fate," Ranma pointed out.

"I suppose."

"Besides, at least this way there's no way of catching that stupid bouquet."

Akane rolled her eyes, feeling obligated to complain. "What is your obsession with that silly little superstition anyway?"

"It's just kinda freaky! I mean three weddings in a row?"

"Honestly!" Akane said while rolling her eyes. "Boys," she muttered distastefully. Still, despite her protests, she couldn't help but silently echo his thoughts on the matter. Three bouquets were three too many.

Unfortunately what the pair failed to realize was that Nabiki, ever the opportunist, had taken a bribe from a particular pair of scheming fathers the night before and agreed to slip her wedding bouquet into Akane's bag after the wedding. The very same bag that she'd tossed to Akane while ushering the two out the back door…

* * *

Author's Notes: Yep, these are still fun! Although with each chapter I write I'm losing trust points I'm sure, and the likelihood of me actually fooling you guys is probably diminishing. Plus this is getting a little harder to do and is becoming slightly redundant. However, I really do enjoy marrying off couples in the Ranma 1/2 universe other than Ranma and Akane. They're not the only ones that deserve a happy ending after all! And although I tend to prefer Ukyo for Ryoga, this pairing isn't exactly cannon, and I do find Akari to be a good match for pig boy. I also really like Nabiki and Kuno and thought after writing the last chapter I should find a way to get them back together. So there you go!

Still, I apologize if I disappointed any of you yet again. I know a lot of you assumed and stated in reviews that since I'd married off the older Tendo sisters, Akane would inevitably be next. But as others pointed out in reviews there's lots of potential for more weddings to take place here…

So what do you think? More chapters? Stop the torture and end it here? Let me know!

After all, you never know. I may actually marry off Ranma and Akane at some point in a chapter. Although not necessarily to each other…

P.S. - I am working on chapter 7 of Mission Impossible. Should be out soon! Thanks for your patience!


	4. I Object!

Chapter 4: "I OBJECT!"

"Marriage… Marriage, is what brings us together today…"

"Ahem," the groom coughed. "I'm sorry but… If it's all the same, do you mind maybe speeding it up a bit?" He choked out while looking around nervously.

"Hmm," the odd old man mumbled in annoyed disapproval before sighing deeply. "Very well," he breathed before resuming his monotone dialog.

"You aren't still worried, are you?" The bride leaned over and whispered.

He glanced back at her and shrugged sheepishly before again diverting his attention back to the door.

With a roll of her eyes she yanked on his hand pulling him towards her to whisper fiercely in his ear. "Relax, will you? Your alibi was perfect. Just a training trip. You've been on plenty before. No need for anyone to be suspicious. Besides, we crossed three different districts, took four trains and two buses to get here."

"Somehow I don't think that's going to be enough," he sweated. "You know what those girls are like!"

"Hmph," she sniffed, feeling rather agitated that even on the day of their wedding he couldn't focus fully on her. "Well if you ask me, I think they're being ridiculous. If they really cared about you then they would want you to do what makes you happy! And you shouldn't be such a coward! Make a stand for once!"

"Hey now, I'm no coward! It's just that…" he fidgeted. "Well, you know… When they get angry…"

For the umpteenth time she let out an agitated sigh and blew strands of hair out of her face. "Maybe you should be less concerned about them and more concerned about me? You know, your future wife? Or maybe…" she trailed off before looking at him with wide, glistening, frightened eyes as a new thought suddenly occurred to her. "Y-You're not having second thoughts about me, are you?"

"No! No of course not!" he insisted, suddenly afraid for another reason. Angry women were scary, but crying women were downright horrifying! "I swear! I-I l-love you! Really, I do! I want to marry you!"

"You say that, and yet here we are, finally going through with it, finally taking matters into our own hands and getting married, and all you can think about is them!" she pouted.

"W-Well… It's just that… I… I don't want them to be upset… I should have talked to them first…"

"We don't need their blessings! They're going to have to live with your decision like it or not!"

"You're right. It's just…"

"Look, do you want to marry me or not?"

He opened his mouth, and hesitated for just a brief moment, and at the same time the priest finished his fateful question.

"…Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Two pairs of expectant eyes stared at him, waiting for his response. He swallowed hard, and then focusing on her dark brown eyes smiled as he choked out his reply. "I do."

A deep smile broke out on her lips as well as she gazed back at him adoringly. And as the priest in turn asked her to take her vows, without breaking eye contact she proclaimed an adamant, "I do!"

Their smiles only widened, and all thoughts at that moment disappeared for each of them. No more apprehension. It was done. Finally…

Unfortunately their rejoicing was a little premature, because at the very moment the priest asked if there was anyone who objected to their union, the back wall exploded, and as the dust cleared three very irate women stood amongst the rubble.

"YOU BETTER BELIEVE WE OBJECT!"

The groom swallowed and backed up, shielding his new bride with his body as he did so. This did not particularly impress her. She looked much more willing to fight and face the challenge before them than he did. "N-Now, come on, let's be calm here!"

"Calm! CALM! Are you kidding me right now? You lie to us, travel halfway across Tokyo, just so you can marry this… this… Hussy!"

"Hey now! Show some respect! Leave her out of this!"

"That's okay dear," the bride grinned pushing past her groom to face the challenge before her. "Why not let me handle this. Woman to women…"

"Fine by me you seductress. What did you do to him anyway? Don't think for one minute you have me fooled. There's no way he would have agreed to marry you unless you had done something to impair his judgment."

"Oh please, is it really so hard to believe that he would love me?"

"Enough! I will not stand by and listen to you insulting my wife!" the groom shouted, his temper finally getting the best of him. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, and I'm sorry I had to hide this from you but… Well, I knew you would all react this way, so what choice did I have? It's just time, you know? I'm ready to settle down, and she…" he said reaching out to take his wife's hand. "She makes me happy! Listen, I care about each of you, very much, and that's not going to change, but… I need to do this for me… Alright?" He stepped forward then to face them all, his attention focusing most on the girl with the short blue hair and the chocolate brown eyes so full of anger and sorrow. Her fists were clenched tightly, and her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. As always she was so stubborn, unwilling to say what she really felt, unwilling to let go, so afraid to lose any battle…

And as he looked into those fiery eyes, he felt his will momentarily falter. But then with a reluctant shake of his head, he laid a heavy hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Akane. I never wanted it to be this way. And I most certainly never wanted to hurt you… Look, I'm not asking for your blessing, but please… Try and at least understand?"

She opened her mouth to speak but then turned her face downward. There was nothing to say. She'd lost him for good. Behind her she could hear the other two girls sniffling lightly. They'd already given up. They'd accepted it. A part of them had always known that at some point this day would come and they'd be standing there watching him as he said his vows to someone else. They knew it was time to let go. Time to move on…

But Akane could not, would not accept it. She had to do something. She wasn't going to stand by and let some crazy hussy take him away from her! She would fight until the very end, and only over her dead body would she see him married to the likes of her! But what to say? How to show him? What to do?

It was at that very moment that the bride clad head to toe in her white gown stepped forward and slipped her hand within her husband's, laying a comforting hand on Akane's shoulder as well. And then she smiled, with an arrogant, charitable, phony grin and said, "It's okay, really! I'll take good care of him, I promise. We love each other. Shouldn't that be enough?"

Akane's eyes flashed and she looked up to glare at the brazen woman before her, but in response the woman only smiled that condescending, haughty grin and said, "I'll tell you what, Akane." She then thrust a huge gaudy bouquet of lilacs in Akane's hands, and her grin grew so huge and fake Akane thought her face would split in two. "You can have my bouquet!"

And that is the moment when Akane Tendo truly snapped. Her vision was filled with red, and as the bouquet slipped from her fingers, immediately to be replaced with the scrawny woman's neck, she felt at peace, even amidst the screams of everyone around her. It was laughable really. She felt like laughing at least. It was a slightly un-hinged, maniacal laugh, but a laugh nonetheless.

"She offers me a bouquet in exchange?" she thought. "How ridiculous. What in the world I need ANOTHER bouquet for? Besides… I always hated lilacs."

"Noooo!" Akane screamed bolting up in bed and breathing heavily. She immediately looked around her surroundings, and finding it to be her own bedroom began to relax letting out a long sigh of relief. "Just a dream," she breathed. "Thank goodness!" It was inevitable really. She'd been to far too many weddings in the last year. It was only a matter of time before they started influencing her dreams and nightmares. She shuddered then as the images of the dream came back to her with a jolt, and she found herself trembling with a new horrible realization. "Only a dream… For now. But still… It could happen…"

In an instant she was out of bed and running frantically towards his room. Once there she flung open his door, a crazed look in her eye.

He immediately jumped as she appeared, startled by the abruptness of her entry.

"A-Akane! W-What…"

"You're not married yet are you?"

"W-What?"

"Just answer me!"

"N-No, of course not. Akane, what's wrong?"

"And you haven't made any final commitments have you? I mean to get married to anyone?"

"N-No… Why? Akane, what's this all about?"

"I just had the most horrible dream!"

"About me getting married?"

"Yeah," Akane flushed sheepishly looking away.

"Oh Akane," he said, laying a hand on her shoulder much like he had in her dream. She shivered slightly at the familiarity of it but looked up at him embarrassed nonetheless. "You weren't jealous were you?" he asked.

"Maybe a little," she admitted sheepishly, unable to meet his gaze any longer. "J-Just… Just promise me one thing, okay?" she began tentatively.

"What's that?" he asked gently.

"If you have to get married… Please, please Daddy, promise me you won't marry Miss Hinako!"

:-p

Owari

* * *

Heh! Okay, so who saw THAT coming? Really I'd love to know! I was kinda hoping to play off of the paranoia I set up in the last chapter about Ranma and Akane getting married, but not to each other. Maybe I was successful? Who knows. For the official record, I still maintain my stance that I may not marry them to each other… But… If you look at ANY of my other stories you can see what match I favor 100% of the time and kinda draw conclusions from that… Nuff said…

Sorry to all those Soun/Hinako fans out there (if there are any). The truth is I just can't STAND that pairing! It's my least favorite match in the whole Ranma-verse. Quite frankly I'd rather see Ranma matched with Kodachi, and considering my feeling about her, that's saying a lot! Hinako just came across as a spoiled selfish brat in volume 25 when she tried to snag Mr. Tendo. It was clear that she didn't care at all about Soun's daughters objecting to her union with him, and the way she expected everyone to cater to her was just downright ridiculous. Still, the manga itself was hilarious and the 10,000 yen attack she used on Nabiki still remains one of my all time favorite Ranma manga gags! But anyway, being so morally opposed to the match I thought there was no way I could go through with marrying them off unless it was in a nightmare. Still, the idea of a Soun wedding (proposed by both O'Donoghue and Shadowalker666) was just too good to pass up so I had to do something with it! Thanks for the inspiration!

Alright, hope you enjoyed. Please review!

P.S. - Imaginary cookies to anyone who knows where the quote at the beginning came from!


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